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The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb Volume 6LETTER 291（第1页）

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LETTER291

CHARLESLAMBTOBARRONFIELD

Sept.22，1822.

MydearF.，—Iscribblehastilyatoffice.Frankwantsmyletterpresently.I&sisterarejustreturnedfromParis!!Wehaveeatenfrogs.Ithasbeensuchatreat!YouknowourmonotonousgeneralTenor.Frogsarethenicestlittledelicatethings—rabbity-flavoured.ImagineaLilliputianrabbit!Theyfricasseethem;butinmymind，drestseethed，plain，withparsleyandbutter，wouldhavebeenthedecisionofApicius.ShelleythegreatAtheisthasgonedownbywatertoeternalfire!HuntandhisyoungfryareleftstrandedatPisa，tobeadoptedbytheremainingduumvir，LordByron—hiswifeand6children&theirmaid.WhatacargoofJonases，iftheyhadfounderedtoo!TheonlyuseIcanfindoffriends，isthattheydotoborrowmoneyofyou.HenceforthIwillconsortwithnonebutrichrogues.ParisisagloriouspicturesqueoldCity.LondonlooksmeanandNewtoit，asthetownofWashingtonwould，seenafterit.ButtheyhavenoSt.PaulsorWestminsterAbbey.TheSeine，somuchdespisedbyCockneys，isexactlythesizetorunthroamagnificentstreet;palacesamilelongononeside，loftyEdinbrostone（Othegloriousantiques!）:housesontheother.TheThamesdisunitesLondon&Southwark.IhadTalmatosupperwithme.Hehaspickedup，asIbelieve，anauthenticportraitofShakspere.Hepaidabrokerabout￡40Englishforit.Itispaintedontheonehalfofapairofbellows—alovelypicture，correspondingwiththeFoliohead.Thebellowshasoldcarvedwingsroundit，androundthevisnomyisinscribed，nearasIremember，notdividedintorhyme—Ifoundouttherhyme—

"Whomhavewehere，

Stuckonthisbellows，

ButthePrinceofgoodfellows，

WillyShakspere?"

Attop—

"Obaseandcowardluck!

Tobeherestuck.—POINS."

Atbottom—

"Nay!ratheragloriouslotistohimassignd，

Who，liketheAlmighty，ridesuponthewind.—PISTOL."

Thisisallinoldcarvedwoodenletters.Thecountenancesmiling，sweet，andintellectualbeyondmeasure，evenasHewasimmeasurable.Itmaybeaforgery.TheylaughatmeandtellmeIrelandisinParis，andhasbeenputtingoffaportraitoftheBlackPrince.HowfaroldwoodmaybeimitatedIcannotsay.Irelandwasnotfoundoutbyhisparchments，butbyhispoetry.IamconfidentnopainteroneithersidetheChannelcouldhavepaintedanythingnearlikethefaceIsaw.Again，wouldsuchapainterandforgerhaveexpected￡40forathing，ifauthentic，worth￡4000?Talmaisnotinthesecret，forhehadnotevenfoundouttherhymesinthefirstinscription.Heisingoverwithit，and，mylifetoSoutheysThalaba，itwillgainuniversalfaith.

Theletteriswanted，andIamwanted.Imaginetheblankfilledupwithallkindthings.

Ourjointheartyremembrancestobothofyou.Yoursasever，

C.LAMB.

[FrankwasFrancisJohnField，BarronFieldsbrother，intheIndiaHouse.

ShelleywasdrownedonJuly8，1822.

TalmawasFran?oisJosephTalma（1763-1826），thegreatFrenchtragedian.Lamb，introducedbyJohnHowardPayne，sawhimin"Regulus，"butnotunderstandingFrenchwasbutmildlyinterested."Ah，"saidTalmaintheaccountbyJamesKenneyprintedinHenryAngelosPicNic，"Iwasnotveryhappyto-night;youmustseemeinScylla.""InciditinScyllam，"saidLamb，"quivultvitareCharybdiro.""Ah，youarearogue;youareagreatrogue，"wasTalmasreply.TalmahadboughtapairofbellowswithShakespearesheadonit.Lambsbeliefintheauthenticityofthisportraitwasmisplaced，asthefollowingaccountfromChambersJournalforSeptember27，1856，willshow:—

Aboutthelatterpartofthelastcentury，oneZincke，anartistoflittlenote，butgrandsonofthecelebratedenamellerofthatname，manufacturedfictitiousShakespearesbythescore….ThemostfamousofZinckesproductionsisthewell-knownTalmaShakespeare，whichgentleCharlesLambmadeapilgrimagetoParistosee;andwhenhedidsee，kneltdownandkissedwithidolatrousveneration.Zinckepainteditonalargerpanelthanwasnecessaryforthesizeofthepicture，andthencutawaythesuperfluouswood，soastoleavetheremainderintheshapeofapairofbellows….Zinckeprobablywasthinkingof"amuseoffire"whenheadoptedthisstrangemethodofraisingthewind;buthemadelittlebyit，forthedealerintowhosehandsthepicturepassed，solditasacuriosity，notanoriginalportrait，for￡5.Thebuyer，beingapersonofingenuity，andfonderofmoneythancuriosities，fabricatedaseriesofletterstoandfromSirKenelmDigby，and，passingovertoFrance，planted—theslangtermusedamongthelesshonestofthecuriosity-dealingfraternity—thepictureandthelettersinanoldchateaunearParis.Ofcourseaconfederatemanagedtodiscovertheplant，inthepresenceofwitnesses，andgreatwastheexcitementthatensued.SirKenelmDigbyhadbeeninFranceinthereignofCharlesI.，andthefictitiouscorrespondenceprovedthatthepicturewasanoriginal，andhadbeenpaintedbyQueenElizabethsmand，onthelidofherfavouritepairofbellows!

Itreallywouldseemthatthemoreabsurdadeceptionis，thebetteritsucceeds.AllPariswasindelightatpossessinganoriginalShakespeare，whiletheLondonamateurswereindespairatsuchatreasurebeinglosttoEngland.Theingeniouspersonsoonfoundapurchaser，andahighpricerepensedhimforhistrouble.Butmoreremainstobetold.ThehappypurchasertookhistreasuretoRibet，thefirstParisianpicture-cleaneroftheday，tobecleaned.Ribetsettowork;butwemayfancyhissurpriseasthesuperficialimpastoofZinckewashedoffbeneaththesponge，andShakespearebecameafemaleinaloftyheadgearadornedwithblueribbons.

Inafuriouspassionthepurchaserrantotheseller."Letustalkovertheaffairquietly，"saidthelatter;"Ihavebeencheatedaswellasyou:letuskeepthemattersecret;ifweletthepublicknowit，allParisandevenLondontoo，willbelaughingatus.Iwillreturnyouyourmoney，andtakebackthepicture，ifyouwillemployRibettorestoreittothesameconditionasitwasinwhenyoureceivedit."Thisfairpropositionwasaccededto，andRibetrestoredthepicture;butashewasasuperiorartisttoZincke，hegreatlyimprovedit，andthisimprovementwasattributedtohisskillasacleaner.Thesecretbeingkept，andthepicture，improvedbycleaning，beingagaininthemarket，Talma，thegreatTragedian，purchaseditatevenahigherpricethanthatgivenbythefirstbuyer.Talmavaluedithighly，encloseditinacaseofmoroccoandgold，andsubsequentlyrefused1000Napoleonsforit;andevenwhenatlastitswholehistorywasdisclosed，hestillcherisheditasagenuinememorialofthegreatbard.

BykindpermissionofMr.B.B.MacGeorge，theownerbothoftheletterandbellows，Iwasenabledtogiveareproductionoftheportraitinmylargeedition.

Irelandwastheauthorof"Vortigern，"theforgedplayattributedtoShakespeare.]

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